Professional skateboarder and snowboarder, John Cardiel also happens to be a big Reggae fan. John’s love for the genre began when he discovered the Steel Pulse LP, True Democracy. In this special vinyl edition of Planet Reggae, he shares a piece of his Reggae journey.
John says “I found this record [Steel Pulse ‘True Democracy’] early on in my journey of Reggae, after the Bob Marley and Peter Tosh albums; this LP always brings me so much joy when listening to it. Reading the lyrics on the back of the album cover [and] really getting in tune with what they were saying, and the meanings behind all of it really touched me. I could really connect with all of the songs.
It seems like they really had their finger on the pulse of what was happening not only in my life, but in many of others, and was a real Rastafarian foundational teaching to me in my impressionable years. From the upful vibes of ‘Chant a Psalm’ to the soul captivating ‘Your House’, and ‘Dub Marcus Say’, was just so on point with the lyrical echo outs at such crucial points. I will forever rate Steel Pulse, as one of the greatest Reggae bands, because of the impression that this album laid on me during my youth.”